Of World Travel and Detectives
by Anaiese Von Claire
Summary: Update: Heiji is traveling the world running into cases and meeting friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends who aren't actually friends while still trying to maintain his often rocky marriage with Kazuha. Needless to say, Heiji doesn't always win...
1. Chapter 1

Kazuha woke with the bed cold and empty beside her. _Ah, he's risen with the sun again. _She heard him shuffle quietly into the room to grab some other preparations, but for what? She didn't care. She rolled over on her side and adjusted the pillow.

Heiji turned and closed the drawer "Oh good! you're up!"

"Who ever said I was up?" she grumbled into the pillow.

Heiji ignored the question. "C'mon, I wanna show ya somethin'!"

"But it's too cold!" Kazuha whined. Heiji yanked the covers off of her. "If ya don't come now yer gonna miss it!" Kazuha shivered as she stood and re-arranged her pajamas, then sliding on her slippers and tying on a robe she followed him.

"What could be so important as to get me up this early..." Kazuha paused and her mouth dropped as she saw the view from her kitchen. Over the green land lay a mist that enshrouded and mingled amongst the trees. The fog was so thick it looked like it could be cut and served on a bagel like cream cheese. Beyond the greenery lay the ocean, above it was the bright blue sky. Kazuha sighed. "It's beautiful." She intertwined her fingers with Heiji's. "It's so romantic, don't ya think?"

"Mhmm. Now don't go getting all soft and mushy on me alright? I just thought you'd like ta see this before we head back ta Japan."

"Scotland's been so refreshing," Kazuha remarked as she released his hand and headed to pantry to collect items for breakfast.

"Yeah, plenty of good cases and pretty scenery. But the best part is being with my lovely wife!" Heiji swung around the counter and gave Kazuha a light kiss on the cheek then headed off to the bathroom.

"Is there something you want for breakfast?" Kazuha yelled down the hall. "Maybe some haggis?"

"Heck no!" Heiji yelled back. "How about some toast with eggs? Add some kippers from last night while you're at it."

"How'd ya like your coffee?"

"Ya know, black with some creamer."

"Porridge?"

"Sure."

A few minutes later Heiji came out of the bathroom still steaming, with the towel wrapped around his neck. Kazuha set the thickly sliced toast on the table as he sat down in the dark wood chair. "Smells great, hun." Heiji dished himself some of the food from each plate as Kazuha poured the coffee for Heiji and added the amount of creamer he liked. She was just stirring it in when her heard a loud "Oh! Ew!" She whipped around and looked at Heiji. "Kazuha! There's a strand of yer hair in my eggs!"

"So?"

"It's gross!"

"What you've never gotten hair in yer food before?"

"No!"

"Does it really matter? I'm yer wife fer goo'ness' sake!"

"But ya haven't even showered yet!"

"Yer such a baby, ya know that? You can just pull it out ya know!"

"But when I cook I never get hair in yer food!"

"That's 'cause ya never cook in the first place! And 'sides, if you don't want my hair in yer food ya can make it yerself or put yer own hair in yer food like this!" She stomped over to Heiji and pulled on his hair until she got a chunk of it off of his head then dropped it in his food.

"Ow!" Heiji cried. Then he stared at his plate. "Ya ruined my food!"

"I thought you wanted yer hair in it!"

"When did I eva say that?"

"It was implied."

"Implied my _foot_! Ya know as well as I do that it's unsanitary to have hair in yer food!"

"What do ya want me to do 'bout it, huh?"

"Wear a hairnet?"

"Wear a...you wear one, idiot!"

"Why? My hair doesn't get into anyone's food!"

Kazuha was about to say something she knew she would regret but stopped herself. She clenched her hands at her sides and took a deep breath. "Whatever, idiot. If you want some different food dish it yourself. It's not like I slaved over it or anything." Kazuha got herself some eggs and porridge then headed out onto the deck and sat on a chair, watching the mist quickly evaporate.

Heiji knew he had really ticked her off so he shoveled his hair-covered food into his mouth, not without gagging a few times, then did the dishes to appease his wife. Heiji knew good and well that he didn't want to show up in Japan with an angry wife unless he wanted to get the cold shoulder. Shinichi got this for a while after he showed up again as his original size, but Shinichi and Ran could make up faster than Kazuha and Heiji could.

He headed into the bedroom and pulled the sheets off and threw them into the washing machine then packed up the clothing, making sure each went either into his suitcase to represent dirty clothes or Kazuha's suitcase to represent clean. That was how she liked it. They had an hour left and because they were so far in the mountains they had a good ways to go before they reached the nearest airport. The weather could also be a little wet due to the fog from earlier that morning so they had to be ready for anything. Heiji heard the sliding door open and close. He heard footsteps on the wood flooring then he heard a sniff. "Oh! My dearest is so very thoughtful," he heard Kazuha's voice. "doin' th' dishes and th' wash like a gentleman! But what could have driven him to do sucha kind 'n lovin' feat? Where's my hero? My Prince?"

Heiji knew it was all pure, transparent sarcasm, but he played along anyway. "My damsel look no further! I am he!"

"Really now, Heiji? That aside, did you...?"

"Pack the suitcases? Yes."

"Sure but..."

"Clean th' bathroom and th' kitchen entirely? Yep."

Kazuha put her hand on her hips. "Okay Mr. Know-it-all, 's the car filled up with gas?"

Heiji's confident expression changed. "What?"

"You went out on your late-night mission to solve the case of the cheating wife that was halfway across Scotland; did you stop to fill the car full of gas?"

"Well ya see Kazuha that was a case a'..."

_Gotcha. _Kazuha looked unconvinced. Heiji was actually doing pretty good until this point. He usually only just remembers to brush his hair in the morning. She recalled one morning when he walked halfway out of the house without any pants on. You can be sure that there were a lot of weird looks from the neighbors, especially since he was known as the world-famous Osakan detective rivaled only by Tokyo's Kudou Shinichi. The reason for all this was because he got distracted easily, he was observant and focused on a case but very absent-minded when off of work. Kazuha surmised that the fresh air was helping to clear Heiji's head. She smiled and bent to give him a kiss on the head, he didn't look up. "Ya look more distressed than what I would've expected from askin' that question," Kazuha noted with a hint of concern. "What's up?"

Heiji didn't move his head from his hand; he mumbled something inaudible. "Hmm?"

"The car...doesn't have any gas at all," he muttered. "Only 'nough fer a half a mile..."

"Ya idiot!" Kazuha barked. "Ya knew we were gonna drive to th' airport! Why didn't ya fill it up, huh?"

"I had some...other things on my mind at th' time."

"What could ya possibly have on yer mind that's more important that gasoline so we can go home?"

The two continued to bicker even when they got out of their tight situation and made it to the airport by some miracle. During the plane flight they were asked to 'please quiet down' because they were 'disturbing other passengers.' Heiji was about to tell the stewardess off when Kazuha intercepted and apologized for them both. It was a long trip but the made it through, neither too badly injured.


	2. Chapter 2

They arrived at Shinichi and Ran's house. The door was opened to them to find a smiling little five-year-old girl. "Who are you?" she asked, slightly suspicious. Before Heiji could speak she concluded,"You must be Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan. Mommy! Kazuha and Hattori are here!" she bolted back into the house, yelling all the way. Heiji and Kazuha looked at each other with puzzled faces. Then Ran walked up holding the little girl's hand.

"Sorry about that," Ran said smiling pleasantly. She turned to the little girl, "You need to address them with respect, Sumiko, This is Uncle Heiji and Aunt Kazuha, okay?" The little girl nodded and greeted them then ran off again. Ran smiled in a tired way, "Would you like to come in?"

They both nodded and followed Ran into the western-style house. It was identical to Shinichi's old house; it was cleanly furnished, free of the smell of beer or cigarettes like the old Detective Agency had. It was obvious Mori didn't come here often. Kazuha was sure that if he did he would only be permitted two beers and smoking outside only. The scent was a very clean one, just like freshly washed laundry, Kazuha loved it, Heiji didn't seem to though. _I bet he thinks it's too 'frufru,'_ Kazuha laughed inwardly. "Please, have a seat on the couch if you'd like. I'm going to make some snacks," Ran indicated a large couch in front of which sat a large glass coffee table. "Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, please," Heiji said eagerly. Kazuha elbowed him.

"Ran-chan, yer too much! Ya don't have to make us anything! We already had lunch at the airport," Kazuha told her.

"Airport food is no good," Ran retorted. "I'll make you something decent. Oh, by the way Hattori-kun, Shinichi is solving a case a couple blocks down the street so if you hurry you might be able to catch him before he heads to the police station to give his report. He's needed a good surprise for a while now, he seems so bored. I haven't told him that you were stopping by just so he could get a little stirred up. But wait a moment while I get you something first." Ran jogged into the kitchen where the two heard a happy laugh. "Never mind then," Ran said as she brought out a sandwich in a plastic bag, obviously made by the little girl. "Sumiko decided to make you a sandwich, I hope you like peanut better and jelly..."

Heiji smiled at Ran then at Sumiko. "I'm sure it'll taste great, I'm sure it'll be tastier than haggis."

"What's haggis?" Sumiko asked suddenly getting a curious light in her eyes. It took Kazuha slightly by surprise.

"It's somethin' of a mixture of intestines, onions, oatmeal and some spices for flavor. It's got other stuff in it too but it's kinda weird to eat. I'll bring some back next time I go to the U.K."

"That sounds awesome!" she replied, squealing with delight as she spun in her clover-green dress. Then she hugged Heiji's legs. "Promise you will?"

Heiji nodded with a wide grin. "Sure thing!" he turned to Ran and Kazuha. "I'm off! See ya later Kazuha!" He made his way with a skip in his step to the front door and closed it behind himself. Hearing the latch both girls let out a large sigh and collapsed on the couch.

"Men can be so exhausting!" Kazuha breathed.

"You said it," Ran concurred. Ran stretched out on the couch, kicking off her slippers in the process. "Kazuha-chan, how long has it been since we've seen each other last?"

"Ten years next month I think," she replied after taking a sip of water, kindly provided by Sumiko. "So you an' Shinichi have yourselves a little girl now huh? She's a good 'un. Looks just like her mother!"

Sumiko beamed as she walked across the room and Ran laughed. "You know, when we were going to name her Shinichi and I didn't agree at at all. He way saying let's give her a name that will make her seem smart or observant like him! He suggested the names Bunko and Chie, but I really wanted a pretty name like Amaya or Masami. We argued over it for a while then finally decided on Sumiko. Which reminds me, why don't you and Hattori-kun have any kids? You've been married only a year less than Shinichi and I have..."

Kazuha blushed hard and felt her cheeks burn. "Well that's..." Ran waited expectantly. "The thing is, Heiji's wanted kids for some time but I really don't want to have any..."

"But why not? Kids are fun!" Ran stretched her arms to convey her meaning.

"They're fun fer a while, but then ya actually have ta take care of 'em 24-7 and it's so time consumin'! Ya never get to have quality time with just you and yer husband!"

Ran crossed her arms and frowned. By this time Sumiko was peaking up from behind the couch listening to the conversation between adults. "Is it true, Mommy? You and Daddy don't get to hang out because of me?"

Ran whipped around. "Of course not, hunny! It's mostly your father though, always off on cases and he never takes a break! He must have some kind of anxiety thing where he has to be doing something..."

"Or murderers follow him 'round like a rash."

"Come on Kazuha-chan, do you really think there's a person who's that unlucky?"

"Hey, it's papers to businessmen, cases to detectives. Especially Kudou-kun. At first I thought it was your dad, but in reality..."

"Then why don't you just tell Daddy not to go to work so you can hang out?" Sumiko asked, the spark of curiosity once again lighting her unusually green eyes.

"Well, I always tell him to relax once in a while or else he'll wipe himself out, but even when he does something _has _to turn up. Honestly we haven't eaten one complete dinner together since we've been married without him having to run off. And I'm serious about that!" Ran sighed. Kazuha reflected on all of the cases in which that has happened to either of them. Heiji wasn't so bad about it because she doubted murderers tended to follow him, he had to go and seek them out. Ran abruptly changed the subject. "So, how's traveling been?"

"Okay, boring at times because he was always working. Which reminds me of another reason why we don't have kids. I told Heiji that if we stopped traveling I would consider having kids. He didn't want to give up traveling." Ran still looked unconvinced. Kazuha ignored her look and continued.

"Our first stop was in America where Heiji begged me ta get a pet from the pet store. He really wanted this giant Great Pyrenees dog."  
"Did you get it?" Ran asked quickly.

"Nah, too much hassle, we got a cat instead. Heiji really doesn't like 'er because she attacks his feet. She's a patchy cat, a tortoiseshell ya know? I named her Ame-chan. She's so sweet!" Kazuha winked in a childish manner and Ran giggled. The two were acting like teens again, filling the room with a cheery, youthful feeling. Sumiko had never seen her mother like this, she was always so restrained...

Suddenly Kazuha slapped her hands down on the couch, startling Ran a little. She gave Kazuha a confused look. "Ya know what? We should go shopping again!"

"I don't think..."

"C'mon, Ran-chan, we won't get ta hang out again fer a while at the rate Heiji's goin'! We're only here for two more days!" Kazuha gave her a pleading look. Ran hesitated.

"What about Sumiko?"

"I can take care of myself!" the little girl chirped. "Daddy told me where all the weapons and gadgets he used for defense when he was a kid are!"

"Weapons? Shinichi keeps weapons?...like what?" Ran became slightly suspicious and looked straight at her daughter.

Her daughter made eye-contact with an unwavering gaze, "He said he hand some hand guns, he showed me how to use them too."

"I see, you will have to show me where those are sometime," Ran pasted a fake grin on her face, Kazuha noted that she would loose a game of poker with a face like that. She also looked like she was ready to run to the crime scene Shinichi was investigating and start interrogating him.

Kazuha sighed and shook her head, "Com'mon, I'm sure ya have some kinda babysitter right?"

Ran shook her head. "Shinichi doesn't trust babysitters..."

"Really now? I neva would've guessed." Kazuha dropped her chin into her hand. "Why's he so skittish anyway?"

"He's had some bad experiences," Ran told Kazuha, "he's just really protective now."

"Well, not ta be rude, but Kudou-kun needs ta learn that th' world isn't filled with only bad people."

"He knows that." Ran hesitated. "He's..." the door opened and closed behind her, Ran and Kazuha turned to see their husbands waltzing in the doorway, well, Heiji was waltzing, Shinichi looked like he was ready to wring Heiji's neck.

"Ran, dearest," Shinichi cooed as he slid over to Ran and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Wouldn't it be nice to know when one has guests over? Especially this one?" He pointed to Hieji with an irritated expression.

Heiji grinned and moved his arms behind his head in a carefree manner. "Is that anyway ta talk to an old friend?" Shinichi glared at him. "Whoa, calm down there! Ya don't have to give me that kinda look!" Shinichi sighed and dropped his head into his arms.

"Daddy!" Sumiko exclaimed running over to her father and grabbing his leg. Shinichi glanced at his daughter. Picking her up, he smiled and gave her a kiss as well.

"Well, thanks to Hattori, I was able to finish that case rather quickly." Shinichi's change of mood surprised Kazuha slightly. "How long are you here for?"

"Two days, then we're headin' back ta America."

"Really?" Shinichi said with a hint of surprise. "Wait, do you even own a house in Japan?"

Heiji and Kazuha both shook their heads. "We own a timeshare in Osaka but we only use it for a weekend every other year," the said in unison. "But it sure is nice when we get back there," Heiji added. "Ain't no place better than Osaka." Kazuha nodded her agreement. Then her eyes lit up.

"Oh! Speakin' of which, Hei-chan, Ran-chan and I are goin' shoppin' could ya and Kudou-kun watch Sumiko-chan?"

"What? What's that? We weren't even talkin' about shoppin'! And what's this whole Hei-chan thing?"

"Thanks Hei~ji!" she added sweetly as she grabbed a disoriented Ran by the arm and pulled her along to the front door where they collected their things and headed out.

Heiji and Shinichi looked after them with confused looks. Shinichi then shrugged and adjusted his jacket. "Then I'll leave it to you, Hattori."

"What?" Heiji yelped. "She's yer daughter!"

"Hey, I have to go file that case down at the station."

"Take me with you, Daddy!" Sumiko squeaked. "I promise I'll be good!"

"I know you would be, but Daddy has things to get done, I think I need to pick up some things from the store on the way...and maybe I need to check up on Korogo-san..." Shinichi seemed lost in thought as he wandered over to the door and opened it.

"Kudou! You can't just leave me here! I don't know how to take care a kid!"

"Daddy! Please, Daddy! I don't want to stay here with Uncle Heiji! He talks funny!" Heiji gave the little girl a sharp look. The girl looked at him. "It's true. You and Aunty talk weird."

Heiji sighed and at that point he knew that this was going to be a long afternoon.


	3. Chapter 3

For a moment Heiji and Sumiko stood and stared at each other. Then Sumiko's eyes lit with a joyful light that frightened Heiji.

"Hey, Uncle Heiji? Have you ever played tea party?"

Heiji was instantly on his guard. "N-no..."

"Okay! I'll show you how to!" she reached over and grabbed his hand then pulled him up the stairs and into a hallway filled with family pictures. They walked past one room that appeared to be a rarely used office then another that was brightly colored; this was Sumiko's room. Finally she turned suddenly into a large room on the left. "This is Mommy and Daddy's room. If you're going to play tea party with me you have to look the part!"

"Whadaya mean?" Heiji asked nervously as Sumiko ran off into the back of the room. For the moment he was left alone, he looked around. The room was well-lit; the walls a natural and very calming green that invited one to settle in with a good book. The comforter on the bed with also calming, with a mixture of the same light green and but also blue. It was obvious Ran had had the say in the master bedroom. While Shinichi couldn't sing, he also couldn't design very well either, and save for some of the accents around the house, he had left it up to Ran. Sumiko soon came bounding out from behind the wall with a long, slightly puffed, green dress.

"Since you have green eyes I think you would look better in this green dress." _Green, green, green..._Heiji thought.

"Sumiko-chan, I ain't wearin' a dress. If ya haven't noticed, I'm a guy, ya know, masculine, male..."

"So? Daddy wears a dress when we play tea party!" (Note: this is a lie)

Heiji looked at Sumiko. "Somehow I doubt that..."

The little girl sighed. "Put it on then judge how you look. I'm sure it will fit you perfectly! It's a dress Mommy wore when she was pregnant with me and she went to a fancy party."

"Are you implyin' something here?" Heiji considered himself very fit; he did a work out for an hour every morning just to keep in shape. Well that fact and Kazuha would feed him less if he gained weight and then would start scolding him for his blubber.

Before he realized what was going on, he had the dress in his hands and Sumiko had closed the door behind her so he could change. Heiji sighed and wondered if he could really work his way out of this situation. As he took the dress off the hanger with a grimace, he imagined playing tea party and dress up with a little girl of his own. He'd be willing to do it then, why not now? He zipped himself up best as possible then noticed that the dress was drooping considerably in the front. Out from the hallway he heard a loud: "Are you done yet?" he made his way and gripped the knob to the door, almost tripping over the long dress. _This is the stupidest thing I've done in my life! All the times I've been undercover I've never dressed like a woman! _He opened the door a little and peered out. Sumiko ran up the hallway and pulled the door out of his hands.

She stared at him. "Wow Uncle Heiji! You're really pretty in a dress!"

"But there are a couple of problems with this..." Heiji noted as he attempted to pull up the strapless top which kept sliding down.

"Oh, that?" the five-year-old paused. "If you need to, you can stuff tissues down the dress. I think that will help." Heiji laughed sarcastically. The little girl shrugged. "Now we need to do your makeup!"

"Oh, no, I don't do makeup!" Heiji retorted quickly.

"Well then, you don't get snacks!"

"Snacks? Like what?"

"I'm not telling you. You have to find out."

_Man, I want snacks...but this is making me loose respect points! I guess...since it's just for a little girl..._ Heiji pulled his top up again. "Fine. But, I want to get this top fixed first." Heiji gathered up the dress in his hands and stomped back into the room, catching the dress in the door as he tried to close it.

…

Heiji sat down in the kitchen on a chair with a whole spread of different kinds of makeup in front of him. "Are ya sure ya know how to do this? And won't yer mom get, ya know, ticked off?"

"No, Mommy showed me how to do makeup." She pulled out some cover-up that matched Ran's skin color.

"Whoa! I don't think I need that..." Heiji said as she unscrewed the cap. The little girl looked at him questioningly. "I mean, it doesn't match my skin color. So it really doesn't do anything for me..."

"You're right!" she set the bottle down and Heiji breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled out a giant powder puff filled with white powder. "Since your skin is so dark, I think white would work better than pink." Before Heiji could argue, she covered his face in the powder and in the process spread it all over the kitchen. Then she found the eye shadow and layered it on, first turquoise, then violet, then pink. After, she decided that eye-liner was a good idea. She scribbled a bit around his eyes; and Heiji sat with quiet tolerance. Then she pulled out the lipstick. Heiji was astonished at how many types of lipstick Ran had, then he thought for a moment. _Wait, if Ran used these lipsticks then I have some on, isn't that the same as an indirect kiss? Heck no! I ain't indirectly kissing nobody! Especially not my best friend's wife!_

"Sumiko-chan, I think lipstick wouldn't be such a good idea, ya know?"

"Why not?" the girl inquired as she worked to get the cap off of some purple lipstick.

"'Cause..." Heiji thought for a moment. "'cause, lipstick tastes funny..."

"Well you're not supposed to eat it."

"If it tastes funny, why do ya put it on yer lips?"

"It's the price of beauty," Sumiko replied finally succeeding in removing the cap.

"Where'd ya hear that one?"

"Don't know."

"I think yer too smart. Jist like yer dad."

"Hey, my Daddy's just fine," Sumiko snapped, turning on Heiji.

"Whoa, I neva said he wasn't," Heiji put his hands up in surrender.

Sumiko capped the lipstick again then set it aside. She picked up an unopened lip gloss container and broke the seal. "You're really smooth, Uncle Heiji." She handed him the lip gloss to do himself. Heiji wondered about this girl, and then he wondered why he should wonder about the daughter of Shinichi Kudou. Seriously…she's SHINICHI'S daughter. _She must be a Daddy's girl_, he decided.

The girl sat back. "You're all done now. Let's have some tea!"

The two headed back up the stairs, with a little difficulty, and back to Sumiko's room. They sat down at the too-small table and each picked up a porcelain tea cup. They clinked the cups together and drank the tea. They both made a face and Sumiko ran and got some soda. They gave their tea to the plants then poured themselves some soda and ate cupcakes, cookies, and brownies, having a pleasant discussion as they did so.

"Wow," Heiji noted. "Western deserts are very sweet…almost too sweet."

Sumiko laughed. "I think they're great! Have you ever tired pineapple? It's so good! But Mommy and Daddy don't like it so much."

Heiji stuck his tongue out. "Yeah, it's gross."

"You're so weird Uncle Heiji."

…

The door opened as Ran, Shinichi and Kazuha all walked into the house. Suddenly they wondered where the two they had left behind went. They searched all over the house then found them in Sumiko's room having their tea party. Ran was very surprised, as was Shinichi but he didn't show it, to see Heiji sitting in her dress. Kazuha just busted out laughing and was laughing so hard she collapsed on the ground crying and gasping for breath.

"Should we be concerned?" Ran whispered to Shinichi.

"I have no reason not to be." Shinichi shook himself out of his daze then headed into the room. "Hey Hattori, what's going on here?"

Heiji whipped around. "Oh…just having a tea party with yer daughter." He tried to pass off his weird attire with a smile, it make him look even more stupid in Shinichi's opinion. "I-I guess I should, ya know, head back to th' hotel right?" Heiji stood, tripping all over Ran's dress as he tried to leave Sumiko's room. Shinichi escorted him to the hall where Heiji gathered up his dress to go change back into his normal clothing. As he rounded the corner to go into Shinichi and Ran's room he heard a whistle behind him. He looked back suspiciously at Shinichi who was being stared at by Ran.

"What?" Shinichi shrugged apathetically. "It was Sumiko."

"When did ya teach yer daughter to whistle like that, huh?" Heiji replied, very unconvinced.

"That's another story for another time Hattori, go get changed."

Heiji did so, working his way slowly and carefully out of the dress as to not rip it, then hung it back up on a hanger. He put his own clothes on, straightened them out and washed his face of any makeup that he could see (Unfortunately the eye liner didn't come off as well as hoped so he had dark circles around his eyes which made him look like he got punched).

On his way out, Sumiko caught him and hugged his legs. "Thank you Uncle Heiji." She looked at Heiji straight in the eyes. "I had a lot of fun! Come back soon with that Haggis. I'll be waiting!"

"Sure thing!" Heiji grinned. Shinichi and Ran both took one of Sumiko's hands, forming a complete family picture.

"Bye Hattori-kun, Kazuha-chan," Ran smiled affectionately.

"See you tomorrow," Shinichi waved his hand and nodded his head as it fell by his side. Heiji nodded in reply and almost felt he had certainly lost respect points as he left. Kazuha intertwined her fingers in Heiji's then beamed in his direction as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"That was, uh…" Heiji began trying to think of a good explanation for the whole situation. But Kazuha squeezed his hand to stop him.

"I know what happened. All I can say is: good job. Yer a step closer."

_Yay! A step closer! Wait, a step closer ta what? _"Whadaya mean?"

Kazuha's cheerful look morphed slightly when she made eye contact with him again. "You should know…if ya don't know I'm not remindin' ya."

"Com'mon Kazuha! Tell me!"

"No, I don't repeat myself ta idiots."

"Say what now? If anyone's an idiot it's you!"

"I'm sorry, what? I don't speak stupid idiot, so could you slow down a bit?"

"Kazuha!"

Shinichi and Ran watched as the couple bickered not even five yards from their house. _That's Heiji and Kazuha for you, _they both thought. They turned back to Sumiko. Who happily chirped: "What's for dinner?" They smiled and Ran replied: "How about Hot Pot?" The agreement was unanimous.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay! I've decided to write another Heiji and Kazuha story! This takes place in Germany, FYI. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this! **

Heiji sipped his coffee and stared sleepily out of the shop window. His stay in this European country had been fairly uneventful. The German police were quite good at their job and they didn't need the assistance of a barely German-speaking Osakan detective. His translator insisted on not going to crime scenes because she had a weak stomach. Heiji then asked her to tell him useful phrases for solving cases. They didn't help much. But he was able to apprehend two criminals because they took off running and the officers weren't in any position to be chasing after them. Heiji tackled both and was only shot at once.

He sighed with slight boredom. Kazuha had been off with the translator for two hours shopping, so Heiji was stuck fending for himself. He knew English and that helped him with a little bit of German, but not enough to hold a conversation with anybody. He had barely been able to order a small cup of black coffee with a little creamer and was very irritated by the end of the ordeal.

Drinking his coffee had calmed his nerves. It was a good brew he didn't even order. He enjoyed it greatly. He pulled out his phone and texted Kazuha to hurry up. There wasn't a reply for a moment. Then his phone buzzed. He was always impressed with how quickly that girl could text. He stroked his baby mustache as he read the mail.

_Adelheid-san and I are back at the hotel room now. Where are you?_

Heiji sniffed and took another sip of his drink.

_I'm at the Bruna Coffee shop. Waiting for you._

His phone vibrated again a second later.

_Well get back here! Adelheid-san said she'd take us on a hike!_

He rubbed his mustache again then stood.

_On my way._

He clapped his phone shut and stuck it in his pocket. He turned the corner and pushed the door open. The bell rang as he left. He looked both ways then quickly dashed across the street, sliding into the door of the first building. He glanced at the elevator but decided to use the stairs instead, just to irritate Kazuha for taking so long. He found his room on the third level and knocked on the door. Kazuha opened the door with her usual 'you're late' face. "Hattori Heiji! Do ya know how long we've waited?"

"Eh, five minutes?"

"Half an hour!"

"Oh? Really?"

"Yes really! Why are ya acting so lax about it, idiot?!"

"Why are ya so stressed about it?"

"Is this how it's gonna be our entire married life?"

"Sheesh, Kazuha, we've been married fer five months. I think ya need to take a deep breath an' realize that I's right across the street the entire time. I wouldn't stray far, ya know. I can't live a day without my lovely wifey-poo."

"Wifey...poo?!" Kazuha blushed a beat red and looked away. Heiji smirked and walked past her. He thought he had handled that situation unusually well. It was probably the coffee. That was some good stuff.

"Sorry to keep ya waitin', Adel-san. Where're we off ta?"

The girl looked up quickly, her long blond hair bouncing in her pig-tales. "O-oh, right um, it's about an hour out of town. It's a really nice hiking trail my father once took me on when I was little."

"Well, what're we waitin' fer?" Heiji turned back to Kazuha who still hadn't gotten over her fit of blushing. He sighed and scooped Kazuha up bridal style. Kazuha let out a little yelp of fright and anger.

"W-what're ya doin'?" Kazuha squeaked.

"What do ya think I'm doin'? I'm carrying my lit'l sugar dumplin' to the car like a prince should carry a princess!"

"Why're ya so embarassin' all o' th' sudden!" Kazuha yelledas Heiji carried her down the stairs.

"It's not embarassin'! It's how a husband should treat his lovely darlin'. An' 'sides, we're in Germany, I hafta treat ya like a princess, it's how all girls here are treated, right Adel-san?"

"N-not quite..." the translator pipped, nervous that Heiji was going to drop Kazuha. Heiji reached the car without faltering then kissed Kazuha's forehead, his little caterpillar brushing Kazuha's skin, and sat her in the car. He walked to the front of the car, ducked inside, then started the vehicle. He turned on the GPS and handed it to Adelheid so she could type in the destination. Then they were off.

…

The trio was hiking in the woods when the leader, Adelheid, stopped. Heiji and Kazuha, nearly bumping into her, stopped as well. "If you guys would like," she began. "there is a large rock formation, at the top of it there is a great view of the city..."

"Cool," Heiji said. "Would you like a picture Kazuha, darling?"

Kazuha gave him a look then smiled back at the guide. "Of course!"

"There's a trail that leads to the top, see? Follow that. I'll stay here. I have a bit of a fear of heights." Kazuha nodded to Heiji. And they both started up the slope, Heiji leading the charge.

Half way up, Kazuha began to lag behind. Heiji didn't notice and kept on walking until she called him. He went back and saw that she had taken her shoe off. "What's up, Kazuha?"

"These shoes weren't made fer hikin'. They're jist being a pain and rubbin' blisters on my feet."

"Kazuha, yer supposed ta wear tennis shoes or somethin' comfortable!" he sighed. "Do I need to carry you?"

"N-no!" Kazuha barked. "But I do wonder how far it'll be to the top?"

"Hmm." Heiji took the moment to look around. "I'll look ahead a little further. If it's too much farther we'll head back to Adel-san." Kazuha nodded.

Heiji headed up the hill, it became steeper and rockier then shifted back into a gentle decent. He finally reached the top after twenty minutes only to find something he didn't quite expect...

…

Kazuha put her sock back on and laced up her shoe. Heiji had been gone awhile and she was getting a bit nervous. She shifted on the rock then lay down uncomfortably on it. The sun was warm and felt nice on her stomach and face. Suddenly she heard a far off bang then the scrabbling of rocks. Heiji came bounding down, almost stumbling several times, in a panicked manner. This made Kazuha even more nervous. She sat up as Heiji came closer. "What's up...?"

Heiji shook his head and as he reached her another shot, this time much louder, was heard. Heiji rolled Kazuha off the rock in the open space and pushed her into the trees.

"What's goin' on?!" Kazuha demanded.

"Not now Kazuha, I'll explain later. Get into the trees an' hide 'til I can find ya.." he pushed her away from himself and turned around.

"How will ya know ta find me?"

"I'll figure it out, just go!" Heiji hissed. This was a severe tone that Kazuha only heard when Heiji knew she was in danger. So she quickly did as he said and hid in the nearest thicket she could find. She heard two more shots in the distance, but they seemed to come from a smaller weapon. Did Heiji have a gun? She'd never seen him have a gun. But it's understandable why he would. Another shot was fired from the larger gun then there was silence. She waited for what seemed an eternity then heard footsteps approaching. She peered through the bush and saw a familiar pair of tennis shoes.

"Heiji! Oh! Thank goo'ness!" but when she looked she saw it was Adelheid drenched with sweat. "Oh! Adelheid-san, it's you! You should probably hide with me until Heiji gets back! Did you hear what was going on?"

"N-no, I didn't! I was running around looking for you all because I heard the gun shots..."

"By the way, why are you wearing Heiji's shoes?"

"Oh? Um, I bought them, actually. I've been wearing them the whole time you were hiking. You probably just didn't notice..."

Suddenly Kazuha head the crack of pine needles and turned to see Heiji with a pistol pointed in their direction. His eyes widened. "Kazuha! Get away! She's...!" the other girl moved instantly and forced Kazuha into a headlock. Initially Kazuha was startled, but Karate mode kicked in and she made quick work of Adelheid. easily flipping her on her back. But as she went in to knock her unconscious, she pulled out gun and pointed it at Kazuha. She backed up with her hands up.

"Heiji..." Kazuha cried suddenly collapsing to her knees as if all the strength and will had gone out of her.

"Kazuha? Kazuha! Ya need ta be strong!" Kazuha looked at Heiji. He looked her straight in the eyes. "I'll get you out of this..." She suddenly understood what he meant and gave a slight nod. Heiji aimed and fired right past Adelheid's head. She whipped around and looked at him, slightly lowering her gun. Kazuha then sprang into action tackling her and forcing her to the ground. In surprise, she fired her gun, Kazuha grunted but continued to force her onto her stomach with her arms behind her back. But Adelheid wasn't so easily grounded. She worked her way out of her grasp then kneed Kazuha in the back. Kazuha's arms were then pinned behind her back. Adelheid pulled Kazuha from her knees and used her as a block.

Heiji hesitated for a moment wondering if her should really do what he was thinking. Kazuha would be really ticked, but if it saved her life she should be okay with it. He pointed his gun at his wife and fired, hitting the side of her thigh. She yelped in pain, giving Heiji the evil eye as she tried to balance her weight on her other leg.

Adelheid scoffed. "You missed!"

"Think again! Now ya can't go anywhere with 'er! She'll just be a deadweight!" Heiji smirked knowledgeably.

The other looked astonished. "To think that you would shoot your own wife! How inconsiderate of a husband." She pushed Kazuha off to the side then ran into the woods, vanishing among the trees.

Heiji instantly replaced his gun then ran to Kazuha's side. "Kazuha, how're ya holdin' up?"

"Yer a jerk, ya know that?"

"But I'm a jerk who saved yer life!"

Kazuha frowned. She flinched as Heiji straightened her legs out. "Does it hurt?" he asked looking back at her with concern.

"The one in my side hurts worse," Kazuha sighed, closing her eyes.

"She got ya good, didn't she?" Heiji laughed lightly as he looked at the wound. "Well one thing's fer shur, she underes'imated how strong my little cherry blossom is." He brushed the hair out of her eyes affectionately and gave her a light kiss. She let out her breath and opened her eyes and looked at him. Heiji had her sit up and wrap her arms around his neck then he pulled her onto his back. "Now no getting' blood on my nice shirt. You bought this one fer me."

"Yer shirt's already mess up, idiot," Kazuha retorted quietly.

Heiji grinned. "Jist rest right now, 'kay? I'll find a better place to stitch ya up then we'll find a way to get back to town."

Heiji started back towards the trail, taking careful steps and listening to make sure nothing would come back around to attack them from behind. Heiji made his way up the slope to the top of the hill where he found the view from earlier. He looked around then saw a stone figure in the distance. _That Adel girl might be planning fer us to go over there, but I don't have a choice, Kazuha needs to be fixed up..._her made his way along the top of the ridge, walking just along the tree line. He turned into the trees after a while then soon came upon the stone pillars. He wandered a little further in then found the ruins of an ancient castle. There were a couple of distinguishable walls and rooms. He settled on a 'cave' he found that had several holes in the walls that could be used as windows. It had a recently fallen tree resting on one of the walls, forcing it to lean on a large rock. The opening to get into the room quite small. Heiji figured he could manage to fit in there without Kazuha on his back. Heiji tilted his head to see how Kazuha was doing. She had fainted due to shock. He gently let her slide off his back at the entrance to the cave he slid in himself then pulled her in as well.

He then started in on bandaging Kazuha's injuries. He had learned, through years of getting himself hurt in precarious situations, how to make the best makeshift bandages. He regretfully tore his shirt into strips and wrapped Kazuha's leg and side, partially glad that since they were married she couldn't freak out about him seeing something he shouldn't. He wished he had some pain killers for her, he knew how badly it hurt to be shot without anything to stop the pain, but he was still glad that neither wound was too serious. After finishing his work, he pulled out his phone and glanced at the time and how many, if any, bars of service he had. As he had assumed, there wasn't a signal and it was getting late into the evening. He yawned. He could try his best to keep guard all night, but as the adrenaline was wearing off, he became sleepy and knew he couldn't stay up all night if he had to carry Kazuha back down into town. He looked at his feet. Walking all that way without shoes had left his feet cut, bruised, and aching. He sighed and looked around. With the last rays of the sun, he found a couple of sticks and some grass and managed to start a fire. He leaned his forehead against hers and looked at her face in the glow of the fire. He brushed her hair out of her face and smiled. He took her hair out of the ponytail it always was in and admired her lovely, black hair.

"Since when have I become sucha romantic?" he wondered aloud. He kissed her then lay down next to his wife.


	5. Chapter 5

…

Kazuha woke the next morning and saw a small fire smoldering along with what looked like a flatish, plate-looking rock that had eggs and some small meat portion on it. She sat up quickly, but soon regretted the decision. She tried to orient herself on what happened yesterday but could only get as far as the skirmish with Adelheid. At that point Heiji walked in and gave Kazuha a broad smile.

"'Morning my little bon-bon. Sleep well? Ya look fresher than a daisy, that's why I say..."

"Shut up, ya make no sense."

"Ouch! Even after I tend to yer wounds and get up early ta make ya breakfast?"

Kazuha rubbed her hair, making it look even more wild. "Ya know as well as I do that I don't look good. Probably don't smell too good either," Kazuha grumbled while reaching for the rock with the makeshift breakfast on it.

"Boy, did ya wake up on the wrong side of the stone floor or somethin'?" Heiji attempted to laugh off Kazuha's cold attitude. But he noticed she was genuinely unhappy. He took his plate and shifted over next to his wife. "Hey, what's wrong? Ya seem really..."

Kazuha gave Heiji a look that told him to stay silent then munched on some of the eggs. He didn't heed it. He tucked his arms behind his head and continued, "Ya know, if ya wanted to take a bath, there is a riv'r down at th' bottom of the hill. I could take ya down there..."

Kazuha's face changed. That didn't sound like too bad of an idea. The water would be pretty cold, but she's definitely had worse. At least she would be slightly cleaner than she was now.

"I think I'll take yer suggestion..." she tried to stand but forgot about her injured leg and painfully calloused feet.

Heiji shook his head. "Like I said, I'll take ya down there. But first ya need ta finish eatin'." Kazuha shoveled the rest of the food into her mouth, almost choking while doing so, then turned back to Heiji. He turned his back to her and crouched so she could pull herself up. It was at that point that she realized that he didn't have a shirt on. She ignored this point quickly, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her easily and the two started forth.

Kazuha, along the way, asked questions about the past day's events. She asked, firstly, why he didn't have his shirt on. He told her he had to rip up the one he was wearing in order to bandage her injuries. He couldn't rip up hers because she was wearing it and that was just be...eh. He didn't want her walking around with half of her shirt off. And he would just look stupid with half a shirt.

Then she asked him about his shoes. "Oh, that. Well, ya see when Adel-san started shooting at me I ran down the hill, but my shoes kept gettin' in the way, so I ducked inta a bush, and quick took 'em off. I figr'ed I'd come back fer 'em later but apparently she found them there and took 'em so I couldn't get them back. And speakin' of which, about when I walked to the top of hill while ya was restin' what I saw up there was somethin' I was glad ya didn't see. But what I saw was a whole bunch o' bones. Human bones. It put me on my guard; then suddenly I saw a flash and a bullet was practically lodged in my head. Thankfully it missed; jist whizzed past my ear. I made a break fer it at that point and came running back to get ya. It seems that Adel-san is a bit o' a sniper."

"What?!" Kazuha yelped.

"Shoot. I knew I shouldn'ta said that ta ya. Well I think I nailed her pretty good at one point. She was jist behind me and getting ready to aim when I turned and shot back. I had Kudou and my dad teach me how to shoot. Dad taught me the basics; Kudou told me how ta shoot with pin-point accuracy. I caught her in the left hand; that's her shootin' hand, actually. It seems she's been trained with both, though, but it most likely shattered her hand. The advantage she has over us, unfortunately, is that she's by herself and she probably knows this forest like the back o' her hand. Also she knows where the car is. She could be here still waitin' fer us or she could've left to go to the hospital, hopin' that we'd get lost and jist starve to death or somethin'. But what she doesn't know is that we're Osakans! And ya cain't kill an Osakan that easily!"

Kazuha frowned. "Are ya sure that it's really alright to be out wanderin' about when she could still be around?"

"I have my doubts that she's still out here. Unless she's really that persistent to kill us, she probably went to get herself checked out. I mean, that back flip ya gave 'er, I'm sure, did some kinda damage."

Heiji heard a light laugh. He smiled, relieved that his wife seemed to be feeling a little better about their current situation. "Okay," he announced. "I'll let you off here ta get undressed. Hopefully ya can somehow get yer five steps down to the river from here. I'll be down the river a bit, soakin' my feet, if ya need me, scream, hollar, bellow 'er somethin'. I'm sure that's not a problem fer my little honey bun."

Kazuha blushed. "Well, go then. I'll be here if ya need _me_." She crossed her arms and waited for him to leave. Hieji laughed and walked down stream. Kazuha let out a sigh and glanced at the river. It may be summer, but the water would still be pretty cold. She slipped her shoes and socks off her feet then tiptoed down to the river, grimacing with each limped step. She found a rock behind a bush that led down to the water. It wasn't very deep and when she stepped in only went up to a little over her knee. It was freezing cold to her, but the rock was comfortably warm due to the sun shinning on it. She decided to wash from the legs up then dry herself on the rock.

After the whole process was complete, using her shirt as a wet towel, she put on her undershirt and pants, drying the actual shirt on the rock next to her. She reclined on the rock and closed her eyes, taking in the warm sun and relaxing- the activity that she had missed during that past two weeks in Germany. She had been stressed about accompanying Heiji to his crime scenes but still trying to enjoy herself. She always seemed to be the most relaxed when she ended up in some odd situation after a great amount of action had just occurred. She loved traveling with her husband, but it often made her more stressed than she really ought to be.

She inhaled the fresh smell of the forest, letting the breeze stir her drying hair. She listened to the gentle rustling of the leaves in the tress and bushes above and around her head. She fingered a piece of grass in her fingers, ultimately enjoying the peace and quiet she had so long missed. The sun warmed and colored her face just pleasantly enough to make her doze. She needed to nap on rocks in the middle of forests more often.

Suddenly she heard a scream. Now this wasn't an ordinary scream. It was a Heiji scream. Heiji didn't scream very often. And when one hears it, sounds about like a wookie without the purring-rumbling sound. He was waaay to manly for his own scream. That was why it wasn't hear very often. But as Heiji did scream Kazuha genuinely knew something had scared him. She calmly searched through her catalog of what could have scared him; he never screamed at a villain, never at a dead body, never at seemingly paranormal activity, a clown maybe...it was at that point that Heiji came running up the bank.

"Kazuha!" his whispered loudly. She leaned out then waved her arm to call him over.

"Why were you screaming? And why are we whispering now?" Kazuha asked as Heiji sat down panting on the rock next to her.

"Bear, there was a bear..." Kazuha looked at him for further explanation. He caught his breath and continued. "I was soaking my feet when I heard a sound in the bushes. I thought it might've been that li'l assassin. But when I stood and looked, I saw a bear. At the same time it saw me and stood on it's hind legs. I didn't know what else ta do but scream and run! I think it star'ed followin' me but I don't know where it is now..."

"Idiot. Yer neva supposed ta run when there's a bear! Yer supposed ta back away slowly!" Kazuha said sternly placing her hand heavily on her husband's head. Heiji had tears in the corner of his eyes, Kazuha smiled and laughed inwardly. She hugged him to comfort him like a little boy with his mother after he scraped his knee. Kazuha was relieved to see the childish side come out again in him; the cheesy romantic hero was getting on her nerves. She left him and peered around the bush scanning the horizon for the bear; she didn't see any sign of it. She returned to Heiji and helped him up on his feet again.

"Can ya carry me?" Kazuha looked at Heiji with a sarcastic glint in her eye. Heiji gave her a sour face.

"Are ya dumb? 'Course I can carry ya!" he harrumphed. He got down and lifted Kazuha lightly.

"Oh! Heiji can ya get my stuff; my shirt and all?" With a sigh, Heiji adjusted Kazuha on his back then picked up the still damp garments. Kazuha beamed. "'Kay, let's go!"

Heiji began walking again, back up over the hill, stopping shortly at the little cave they stayed in to make sure they didn't leave anything, then continued to move across the top of the mountain. After walking for a bit, Heiji stopped to take a breather while Kazuha sat and stretched her cramped legs. Kazuha was a little surprised at how well Heiji endured the weight of carrying her and walking in a forest with bare feet. Heiji was mentally complaining about how heavy Kazuha was and how painful it was to walk without shoes. For a brief moment he was also thinking of how to track down Adelheid. After all, there were many different places she could hide, and she knew the country better than he did. But the thought was pushed to the back of his mind until he could actually obtain some shoes. After a few more minutes rest he pulled Kazuha back into a piggyback then proceeded down the mountain.

…

It had been a long time since the two started walking and they were quickly getting tired and bored of talking. It wasn't long after that was established that it started to rain. It poured. Heiji became nervous; the ground became slick and the mountain had some steep faces that he still had to get down and bare feet wouldn't be the best for such pleasant conditions. "Kazuha, we may need ta stop 'til the rain decides ta quit."

"But it may not stop 'til tomorra! Sleepin' on the dirt again doesn't sound like too much fun."

"Sleepin' on dirt is better than fallin' a crackin' yer back!" Heiji took another step, but lost his footing and slipped falling heavily on his back, landing with a grunt. Kazuha had easily pushed on his back and landed on her better foot. Then looked at Heiji with crossed arms. Heiji rolled over, heaving and covered with mud, glaring at Kazuha.

"I see yer point..." Kazuha relented. Kazuha helped Heiji up and the two hobbled over and took shelter under a large rock.

The two sighed in relief and leaned against the rock. Kazuha rolled her head along the rock and looked at Heiji. He was tilted slightly away and Kazuha noticed the dirt and grass covering his back. "Ya have grass all o'er yer back."

"Good ta know." Kazuha reached over and started brushing it off, it persisted to stick to his wet skin but she managed to get the majority of it off.

"There," she said when her work was done. "That's better."

"Thanks."

"Mmhmm."

The two sat in silence listening to the rain for a bit. Then Kazuha spoke first.

"I love rain."

"Mmhm."

"It smells so fresh and leaves everything clean and nice. Except for mud, of course."

"Hmm."

"Do you like rain?"

"Mmm."

"Me too."

Silence again.

"I also like the sound of it as hit hits the roof and walls."

The pattering of the rain served as an example. Heiji stiffened suddenly. Kazuha gave him an odd look.

"What...?" Heiji covered her mouth and looked towards the upper half of the rock. Kazuha hadn't heard anything and was a little put out with Heiji covering her mouth. She shot him a cold look. Heiji leaned from under the rock only to jerk his head back in just in time to not be hit by the bullet.

"Not again!" Kazuha moaned.

"This'll be over in a sec!" Heiji pulled out his gun from his pants, making Kazuha wonder why she hadn't noticed it before...

A familiar figure had jumped down from on top of the rock. Adelheid stood up from her crouch. Her shirt torn and her hand bandaged, she held her weapon in her right hand. Heiji pushed his wife behind him and locked eyes with the other girl. He was crouched and had his gun in his lap. Kazuha thought he looked a lot like a dog with his hackles raised, poised to fight. He looked pretty stupid to her.

Adelheid muttered something in German with a smirk on her face.

"I don't know what yer sayin' but I don't like seein' ya here again. Jist turn yerself in!" Heiji snorted.

"Why? I've been doing my job for years! Being a translator and tour guide for famous detectives; I get paid pretty well for what I do! You all are just a bit of a more difficult mission."

"Who tells ya to do this?"

"Mmm, no one in particular! You won't even care once you're dead!" she fired at Heiji who had raised his gun and shot the weapon out of his hand, it flew away out of the shelter of the rock. Heiji recoiled and held his hand, giving her a wicked look. He knew their luck had run out; the only ray of hope, quickly slipping away. They were relatively safe under the rock until she decided to move in. She wouldn't do that soon because they still had strength. Heiji racked his brain for a plan, at least, to escape without any more injuries. He couldn't bear it if Kazuha were hurt any more than she was now. He glanced back at his wife. She had a perfectly calm face. This was to be expected. She'd been in situations like this before because of him but at this point he could see no realistic way out...

He paused. he'd thought he'd heard something...very quiet, but familiar. He heard a _psht _sound and looked back at Adelheid. Her arms arms suddenly went limp and dropped her gun then the rest of her body collapsed to the ground, making a funny noise on the way down, and landed fast asleep.

Heiji and Kazuha peered off into the distance. A young man stood up and clicked his watch back into place the wandered through the rain over to them. Once he stood underneath the rock he looked the two up and down and shook his head. "I've never seen two people look so ragged after spending a day in the woods. And Kazuha-san looks worse off than you do! Are you really that incompetent, Hattori?"

"Kudou?!" Kazuha yelped.

"Kudou!" Heiji cheered. "Ya got my message!"

"Well you didn't make it very easy." Shinichi gave him a hard look. "All the way to Germany! Geez. That's one of the languages I can't speak and yet you bring me here, leaving me to struggle..." he sighed. "You can explain further on the way back. My car's at the bottom of the hill. I have some extra clothes for you two. Can you get that far?" Kazuha looked at Heiji, still in shock. Heiji returned the glance and nodded. Shinichi walked back out into the rain and picked up the sleeping assassin. Then proceeded down the hill. Heiji followed with Kazuha on his back.

…

After Heiji and Kazuha were dressed and had filled in the blanks to what Shinichi was missing he told them his side of the story.

"Hattori texted me two days ago saying that there was something he didn't like about your translator and that he had reason to believe she wasn't safe," Shinichi explained as he drove. "He asked me to come to Germany saying that he will pay me back for the ticket and rental car. And you will, or I won't help you out again -ever. So I made my way here and found the hotel you were staying at. Hattori had left a note telling me that you had gone on a hike..."

"When did you do that?" Kazuha sputtered.

"Jist before we left, I was actually writin' it when I was talkin' ta ya." Kazuha blushed, trying to remember if he had.

"It also told the license plate number of the car you rented. So I went to the police and asked for them to find your car. Thankfully there was a friend of a friend of Detective Satou's there and he knew who I was. I told him to come as back up just in case something didn't go right but, as you know, everything went fine. But tracking you was the irritating part. And speaking of which, Hattori didn't your mother ever tell you that if you get lost you need to stay in one place until someone can find you?"

"You would do the same if ya're in the same situation, Kudou."

Shinichi harrumphed and continued, "So I followed the recent shoe prints all the way around the forest, and saw the place where you had obviously had your skirmish with Adelheid-san. Then followed you up over the mountain, to your little camp, past the river and at that point it started raining. I picked up my speed and followed you over the hill, but lost your footprints at the top of the mountain. Then I heard a gun shot and ran back down to the hill to find you, cornered under that rock. So I snuck up behind her (for an assassin she wasn't very observant) and got her as you saw."

"I didn't even know that you had your tranquilizer watch on you still!" Kazuha remarked.

"I keep it around when I need it. It come in handy when the criminal tries to attack someone or run." Heiji and Kazuha smiled and sipped their drinks, Shinichi's treat, then relaxed, letting Shinichi drive them back to the hotel as they slept.

…

Later that evening, after everyone had cleaned themselves up, they went out to dinner. The trio went to a nice restaurant, again Shinichi's treat, and had a normal meal instead of roasted bird and eggs.

Adelheid was put locked behind bars after being attended to by doctors. She gave up information about who she worked for after a long several hours of questioning.

Poor Ran was left in Japan, she wasn't happy that the only time she learned that her husband had gone to Germany was in a letter on the table that she found after she went shopping. Needless to say, Shinichi got a good railing from her after dinner. He was to clean the house and go shopping for the rest of the week when he got back to Japan.

Heiji and Kazuha returned to Japan for a little while; living with Heiji's parents. While there, Kazuha's injuries were bandaged and well taken care of by Heiji, who, while his wife sat on the couch trying to recover, doted upon her every whim. Kazuha was content but missed her loud 'discussions' with him. These were soon continued after she was better.

Heiji was glad to have a shirt and shoes, and later bought some German coffee.


End file.
